Combined signal and lock for railway-switches.



T. B. ASHFORD.

COMBINED SIGNAL AND LOCK FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES.

' APPLICATION FILED 0OT.21, 1908. 948,266. Patented Feb. 1, 1910. E 2SHEETSBEEBT l- I. uullmm Q T. B. ASHFORD. COMBINED SIGNAL AND LOCK FORRAILWAY SWITCHES.

APPLIOATION FILED 00'1.21. 1908.

Patented Feb. 1,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Jfii. 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFTCE.

THOMAS BUTLER ASHFORD, OF KINSTON, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-ELEVENTH TO JESSE W. GRAINGER, ONE-ELEVENTH TO JOHN E HOOD, ONE-ELEVENTH TO SOL GETTING-ER, ()NE-ELEVENTH T0 JOHN H. BARVYICK, ONE-ELEVENTH TO JACK ROBERT BOUNTREE, ONE-ELEVENTH TO SYLVESTEB L. STOUGH,ONE-ELEVENTH TO JAMES F. TAYLOR, ONE-ELEVENTH TO WILLIAM C. FIELDS,ONE-ELEVENTH TO HENRY E. SHAW, AND ONE-ELEVENTH T0 EDWIN J. BEGTON, OFKINSTON, NORTH CAROLINA.

COMBINED SIGNAL AND LQCK 1 GB R-AILWAY-SW'ITCF-ZES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS BUTLER ASH- ronn. a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Kinston, in the county of Lenoir and State of NorthCarolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CombinedSignals and Locks for Railway- Switches. of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to an improvement in a combined lock and signal forrailway switches, and the object is to provide means whereby a signalwill be displayed when the switch lever is in either locked or unlockedposition. hen the switch lever is locked the signal indicating that theswitch is closed will be displayed, and when the switch lever isunlocked a signal will be displayed indicating danger.

The invention consists of certain novel features of construction andcombinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and pointedout in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a. view in side elevationshowing the invention applied to a switch stand; Fig. 2 is a horizontalsectional and plan view on the plane indicated by the dotted line :000of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view of the lock showing the interior with thecover removed. and Fig. 4c is a view of the latch.

A represents the switch stand and B the signal shaft upon which ismounted the usual signal shield C. Pivotally connected to the shaft is alever 1, which is adapted to rotate the shaft in the stand A for turningthe shield to clear or danger. The usual staples 2, 2 are formed on thestand A. The lever 1 is provided with a slotted opening 8, in which isreceived the staple 2.

Supported upon the stand is a lock E. A collar d is mounted on the standand is capable of a partial rotation upon the stand, it being limited inits movements by stops 5, 5. Connected to the collar is the lock E by anarm 6, which is formed on the collar, and it is connected to the casing7 of the lock. Slidably mounted in the ends 8 of the casing is thelock-bolt 9. The lower side Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 21, 1908.

Patented Feb. 1, 1910.

Serial No. 458,853.

of the bolt is provided with rack-teeth 10, which are adapted to beengaged by a segmental gear 11, which is mounted in the easing. A recess12 is formed in the bolt, in which a key is received passing throughkeyhole 13 in the cover 1 The key enters the recess and throws the boltfor locking the lever 1 againstthe stand after the switch has beenthrown, the lock-bolt 9 entering the staple 2. A latch 15 is connectedto a stud 16 and extends down along the lower edge of the bolt andthence upwardly, and is bent so as to enter the notches 17 formed alongthe upper edge of the bolt. A spring 18 connected to the stud 16 bearsagainst the casing and free end of the latch 15 forcing it into one ofthe notches 17. hen the key throws the bolt in either direction it firstengages the latch, forcing it from en gagement with the bolt, whichpermits of the key throwing the bolt. After the bolt has been thrown thespring will enter the other notch holding the lock in either locked orunlocked position.

Connected to the segmental gear 11 are arms 19 and 20, which arms extendthrough openings 21 and 22 formed through the top of the casing. hen thebolt is thrown into locked position the arm 20 is forced upward showinga white signal, the arm being painted white to indicate that the switcharm or lever 1 is in locked position. If the arm 19 is extendingupwardly showing a red signal indicating danger, it shows that the bolthas been thrown through the staple 2 for unlocking the lever 1. Thismeans for locking the switch lever in locked position will notify theengineer whether or not the switch is closed. If a white signal isdisplayed he will know that the switch is closed, but if the red signalis displayed he will know that the switch is open and that the switchlever is in unlocked position.

It will be necessary to provide means for disclosing these signals atnight to an engineer, and to accomplish this end I have provided hoods23 and 2a, which are detachably connected to the arms 19 and 20. Lamps25 can be placed upon the casing, one light indicating danger and theother a clear track. I I claim as new and If the arm 19 is extendingupwardly the bolt will not be thrown into locked position and a redlight would be disclosed and the other light would be concealed beneaththe hood 24. If, however, the arm 20 is forced upwardly the red lightwill be concealed and the light indicating clear track will be exposed,which will indicate that the lever is in locked position and locked bythe bolt 9.

By this invention a trainman will be notified whether or not the switchlever is in locked position. If the switch lever is merely thrown to itslocked position and not locked in position, there is danger of theswitch being jarred open, thereby causing the engine to leave the rails.The switch lever might be thrown sutlicient to indicate a clear track bythe shield C, but if the lever is not thrown to its proper position andlocked the result above named will be caused. The danger of the shieldindicating a clear track and the switch lever being in an unlockedposition can be avoided by my invention, for the reason that a signalwill be displayed indicating that the bolt is not in locked position andthat the lever has not been locked in its proper position. hen thesignal is displayed on the lock showing that the bolt has locked thelever in its position the engineer will know, upon his examination ofthe signals, that he has a clear track.

It is evident that more or less slight changes might be resorted to inthe form and arrangement of the several parts described withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do notwish to be limited to the exact construction herein set forth, but

Having fully described my invention, what desire to secure by Let tersPatent is:

1. In a combined lock and signal for rail= way switches, the combinationwith a switch stand and switch lever, of a lock casing, a bolt thereinadapted to hold the switch lever in locked position, and means engagingthe bolt for holding the bolt in locked or unlocked position.

2. In a combined lock and signal for railway switches, the combinationwith a switch stand and switch lever, of a lock casing, a bolt thereinadapted to lock the switch lever in position, and a latch engaging thebolt for holding it in locked or unlocked position, and means operatedby the bolt for indicating whether the switch lever is in locked orunlocked position.

3. In a combined lock and signal for railway switches, the combinationwith a switch stand and switch lever, of a lock casing, a bolt therein,a segmental gear in engagement with the lock bolt, signal arms connectedto the segmental gear and actuated when the bolt is operated for lockingand unlocking the switch lever to indicate whether the switch lever islocked or unlocked.

4. In a combined lock and signal for railway switches, the combinationwith a switch stand and switch lever, of a lock casing, a bolt in thecasing for locking the switch lever in position, signal arms actuated bythe bolt, and hoods connected to the arms for disclosing or concealingdifferent colored lights.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in the presence of twowitnesses.

THOMAS BUTLER ASHFORD.

\Vitnesses C. A. NEALE, VVATTS T. ESTABROOK.

